Gravitating hinge



'Nov."'13',*1`928. v 1,691,759

E. FISCHER GRAVITATING HINGE Filed July 31, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1,691,759 E. FISCHER GRAVITATING HINGE Filed July 31. 1926 2 sheets-sheet 2 551'?. Z

l l I l .14.

Patented Nov. 13, 1928.

Stil

ERNEST FISCHER', orsaLEivr, OREGON;

GRAVITATI'NG This invention relaties to the Yhanging otl horizontally swinging doors f, and like Aclosures so that when the latter are opened', they will be automatically returnedy to closed position.

The priinaryrobgect. ot'the present inveiif tion is to provide a gravitating hinge ot the above hind? wliich is extremelyr simple' andl durable in construction as well as etli'cient inf operation.

A further object is-to provide an ini-proved torni of grayitatiiiglea-iLL hingewhich may bel cheaply and easily constructed well as readily pla-ced into use.

Still another object iste provide a giavi-Y tating hinge whichis reversible or adaptable 'tor use withfeit'her doors which swing open in one directionor with doors which swing open iii the opposite direction7 simply by inverting the hin ge from position as used in connection with one et the doers in order to adapt the` hinge to theother on an oppositely swinging door.

still:turtliei'object'is to provide a revers.-

o Oravitating hingev ot the above kind in' the hinge leaves are'disposed to normally extend from the hinge pintle in. 'che Vsame direction so that the hinge isadaptedgto.

oppositely swinging doors by mere inversion ot the. hinge, and means tor changing the-noriiiai relation of the hinged leaves so that they saine will: normally extend in opposite directions tor adapting` the hinge to double acting doors doers which swing openv in trwo'or opposte directions.

Another object is to provide simple and eiiective means Ytor accelerating the returnl et a leaft of the hinge tonornial position for the'A y accelerating closing ot the door. Y

gravitatingI i hinges7 and has more particular reference tov hinges ot this kind particularly adapted :tor

further object is to provide an improved vitatin'g hinge having simple andv effec-V e ineans for causing the upper lea/t toi'ise.v

thereby automatically effecting lin the drawings, wherein like reteiiejnce.v Corresponding.v Vparts characters indicate throughout the several-views, i Figure l is an' elevational View, partly brel-:en away andI in seotiom, of one -form of gi'avitating hinge constructedl in accordance.v

with the present invention, and with the. upf.

per leaf of the hinge swung trontnonnial position toa osition' wherein a. door hun'b thehinge will be opened when swung ,tothe left as indicated by the arrow; i FigurepQ- is a view somewhat similar to Figure-1 with the hinge of the latiter'tiguiief inlverted for use in connection with door whichl swings open tothe right' as indicatedy by the arrow;

Figure 3 is an enlarged; horizontal' sectionA thereby accelerating Vclosiifig movement of a;

door hung vbyfthe iiseio'ii theh-ing;

Figure 6 is a vfiew partly in elevation and t partly broken away andin sect-ion', ot azniodir. tied form ot grav-Rating" hinge 'eonstii'uc'tedinf resinas accordance withfthe present invention and with the leavesthereoin normal position l f Figure 7 is an elevatiionalview oi'i astillfiirther torni of'iieviersiblegravitating hinge constructed in accordance with the-present invention;v

Figure 8 is looking toward the left ot' Figure 7*;

Figi e Q'is anenlarged: horizontal section.- talen substantially, upon liner9`9f of Figf ure 8;

Figure l0 is a fragmentary view ofv the hinge shown in Figure? with the leayges adj usted so as to normally pointorleirtend in.-4 opposite directions" whereby the hingey'is adapted :tor use in connection with double actiino` doors or doors which swing open in; opposite directions; and

Figure lly is a view partlyin: elevationfa-nd partly broken away and' in section, ofa ffii-re' Referring more in detail'to the drawings,

an edge-'elevational View; thereof lll() the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to et inclusive embodies an elongated cylindrical pintle 5 having a plurality of similar uniformly spaced and inter-twining right hand` 6 in one 'end portion thereof,

spiral grooves and a plurality of similarly related left hand spiral grooves 7 in the other end portion thereof, said grooves terminating in slightly spaced relation at their inner or adjacent ,ends at the intermediate portion of the pintle, and terminating short of the ends of the pintle at the outer ends thereof. A hinge leaf 8 has a rigid vertical barrel 9 along one edge, and this barrel 9 is freely .rotatable and longitudinally slidable upon one end portion of the pintle 5, while a similar hinge leaf 10 is provided with a rigid-barrel 11 along one vertical edge which is freely rotatable and slidable longitudinally upon the other end portion of the pintle 5.

`The barrel 9 is provided with one or more y dotted line position of Figure 1 during such opening movement of the door, to the full line position of Figure 8, and turning in the direction of the arrow a of Figure 1. In a like manner, the barrel 11 of the hinge leaf 10 is Vprovided with one or more key elements engaging in one or more of the left hand spiral grooves 7 in the other end portion ofthe pintle 5, whereby when the hinge isinverted end for rsu , inthe same direction from the pintle.

end from the position of Figure 1-to the position of Figure,2 with the leaf 8 arranged lowermost and attached totheframe and the leaf 10 arranged uppermost and attached to the-door, said door may be swung open to the right, and simultaneously carried upwardly with the Vleaf 10 on the portion of the pintle 5 which is now uppermost, at which tin'iethe leaf 10'will`swing in the direction ofthe arrow a from its normal dotted line position to the raised full lineposition. It is thus apparent that'the hinge may be readily inverted for beingadapted to a door which swings open to 1 the left, or to a'door which swings open to the right, and in each case the door and the leaf which is arranged uppermost will automatically tend rto gravitate to the normal position wherein the door and upper leaf are lowered and the door is closed. Thus, as soon as the door is released Awhen opened, it will automatically be returned to closed position as is well known in the art. It will noted that in both instances the leaves normally extend How- ever, means is provided, as will later become apparent, whereby the hinge leaves may be c anged 1n relative normal positions so as to -normally entend in opposite directions from in either direction.

the pintle whereby this same hinge may be adapted for mounting a door which is of the double acting type or adapted to swing open In such use of the invention, assuming that the leaf 8 is disposed uppermost, said leaf 8 will be raised on the pintle when the door is vswung open to the left as in Figure 1,`while the pintle will thread upwardly out of the barrel 11 of the leaf 10` when the door is swung open to the right or in the opposite direction. An inspection of the drawing will reveal the fact that this operation is inherent to the structure without illustrating in a view' the normal position of the hinge leaves so as to project normally in opposite directions from the pintle. j

As the manner of providing key elements for the barrels of both Vleaves is alike, description of one will suffice. As shown with respect to the leaf 10, such manner of providing the key elements consists in providing the inner end of the barrel 11 with a plurality of transverse openings, in each ofV which is 'freely positioned a bearing 'ball 12 forming a key elementand engaging in the adjacent spiral groove 7 of the pintle 5. These bearing balls or key elements 12 are retained in place by means of a sleeve 13 fitted over the inner end of the barrel 11 and about the elements 12 as shown clearly in Figure 4. Y Obviously, by removing the sleeve 13 and the balls 12, the leaves may be normally positioned to extend in the same direction and the balls 12 then engaged in the grooves?, or the balls or key lelements 12 may be removed and the leaves when normally disposed in adjacent relation Y completely upon the end portions of the pin-Y tle. Vxith this construction either leaf may be changed in relation to the other leaf, and access to the key elements or balls of either leaf barrelmay be readily had upon removal of the associated sleeve 13 in case it is desired to do so for removal, repair or adjustment. Naturally, by the use of bearing balls 12 as key elements, a minimum amount of frictional resistance is offered to the turning and sliding movement of the barrels on the end portions of the pintle. The inner end portion of each leaf is separated from the adjacent end portion of its barrel by the pr-ovision of a vertical orv longitudinal slot 14 of la length at least equal to the i length of the sleeve 13, so that the latter may as mentioned. 1n order to removably retain is provided with a pair ot opg-ositelyY 'facil nocif/s the sleeve 18 in place, the outer wall of the slot 14 is formed with a notch 15 in which is adapted to seat an external annular flange 16 provided upon the sleeve 13. The tlange 1G' is provided' with a transverse groove 17 adapted to be registered with the adjacent end et the hinge leal1 so that the sleeve 13 may be placed upon tl c ond of the barrel to an extent to position the flange 16 coincident with the notch 15. l/Vhen this is done the sleeve is rotated so as to bring the groove 17 out of registry with the notch and cause a portion of the'tlange 16 to enter the notch that the sleeve 13 is removably retained in place. Natu'rall the sleeve 13 may then be remov d by turning it until the groove 17' registers with the adjacent end ot' the hinge lealiand' the-flange 16 is thereby disengaged from 'thenotch 15, at which time the sleeve 13 may be freely slid off of the endl oi the barrel. The outer ends ot the barrels may be closed by suitable ornamental plugs as indicated at 18 so as to give the hinge a linished appearance,

and the leaves 8 and 10 are provided with the usual openings 19 so that screws or the lile may be passed therethrough 'for attaching the leaves respectively to the door and the door frame. y

The innerl end or the barrel o teach hingel ratchet teeth which presenta pair ot sul tially dianietrically opposed anu opposit facing flat shoulders 2O respectively adaptd to engage opposite sides ot the oppositrv ends of a cross pin lined in and et-enoing transversel'rv through 'the intermediate portion et the pintle o, when the adjacent end ot' said pintle is completely threaded into thebarrel provided with said shoulders 207 whereby the threading of the pintle into said barrel is limited to the pron-er distance by the ends oit the pin al enga; ately prior to the time 'when' the hey eleine;y

or balls V12 of the said barrel reach the inner i ends of the associated spiral grooves. ln this way, the rey elements 12 do not engage the ends ot the. grooves 'lor limi nig t ward threading of the pintle into the lo el, and damage ot the lizey elements or balls 12 as w ll as wearingl thereof and the grooves troni this source is thereby prevented. Naturally,

the shoulders 2O upon one hinge leat' barrel.

will tace oppositelj 'om those on the other hinge leal' barrel so that the same fonction is obtained in connection with each leaf. the pin 21 being ot sufficient dian'ieter to enf. gc the shoulders 2O ot the barrel ot eitheL or both leaves. Further5 this construction pe mits the upper lcatrto swing in either direction when the hinge is employed with double acting doors. For instance, with the parta positioned as shown inlli 1 eitceptthat the upper leaf 8 will be at I,usted lo normally extend as its tull e position when lowered or normally disposed7 swinging oi theV f the shoulders 2G immedi-v leaf 8 to the right for opening the door in-One` direction will result inthe shoulders y2O ot the barrel 9 engaging'the ends of pin 21 and thereby causing the pintle 5 to turn in the barrel 11 and thereby thread upwardly out ot the latter, whereas, upon swinging the leat 8 to the lett the ends or the pin 21 will engage tie shoulders 2O ofthe barrel 11 so thatthe' pintle 5 may not turn or thread further into the barrel 11 and the barrel 9 will accordingly thread upwardly on the `upper end oi the pintle 5 *allowing the door te swing open in` the opposite direction. ln either operation a raising et the door is eiiected so that the door willautomatically gravitate to closed position when released.

The swiir 'ng of the upper leaf ot the hinge baclwardly to' normal position 'for accelerating closing ofthe door may be accomplished in a simple andv etl'ective manner as illustrate-d in Figur .5, such an arrangement being desirable in Vseine instances involving the hang'ig ot exceedingly' heavy doors which canse an eXcesfve amount of friction to be set up between the relatively movable parts otthe hinge. As shown in Figure 5 this is accomplished by threadingone end oi" a bolt 22 into an end ofthe pint-le 5 so that the bolt is lined to the pintle coaxially et vthe latter i its inner end freely extending into the acont end oi" the barrel of the adjacent ge lea'. .ln the illustrated instance, the

leaii is the one which is arranged uppermost, anc conoidal compression spring formed ot" a spiral strip ot' resilient inet-al placed on the bolt 22 '-vth its'larger lower end inipinging against the adjacent upper end of the. hinge barrel 9 and with its smaller' upper end bearing against the head on the upper or outer end of the bolt 22. lith this construction the hinge leal"- is swung to the lett from normal position and in so doing5 its barrel Q will travel upwardly on the' pit e so as to placethe spring 23 under compi sion as the door associated' with the lea-l 8 moves to open position. Naturally, when the door is released the spring 23 will supplement the gravitating action ot the hinge by tendency to return to its normal expanded y condition, Aand the closing movement of the door will be accelerated by reason of the spring 23 tending to force the leaf S to swing l backwardly and lower to its normal position. The use ot a conoidal compression spring onables the use ot a relatively short bolt22 by reason ot the coils of thespring nesting one within the other' when placed onder coinpression.r

Theiiorm ot the invention shown in Figure 6 is substantially the saine as that shown in Figuresl to l inclusive except that the lower end ot the pintle 5 is not provided with spiral grooves and is removably secured in the barrel 11fL of thek lower leaf 1()EL by threading the lower barrel closure plug 18a onto a threaded lli V stern 24 rigid with the lower end of the pintle 5a as shown.- I/Vith this construction the key elements or balls l2 are not provided for the barrel l1 but will naturally be provided for the barrel. 9 of the upper leaf, and the hinge y will at all timesbe used with the leaf l()a sevtype for cured to the door frame andthe leaf 8 attached to the door so as to adapt the latter to swing open to the left as indicated by the arrow a.

l Naturally this form of hinge may be constructed in right and left hand types, the type shown bein g of the left hand type or the doors swinging open to the left. In constructing the right hand type of hinge the f construction will be exactly the saine except that the barrels will be provided upon the opposite or other vertical edges of the leaves and the spiral grooves in the upper end of Ythe pintle 5a will be right hand grooves Yinstead of left hand grooves as shown in the form disclosed. Naturally, in this single actuse Vof the elements 2O and 2l is unnecessary, and if desired, the bolt 22 and spring 23 may 5 be associated with the upper end `of the pintle hinge leaf in this form ofthe invent-ion is pro- `tion, whereby,

end portion of the pintle is journaled an vided witha V-shaped cam slot, the portions of which extend in inwardly diverging relawhen the hinge is operatively disposed, the cam slot of the upper leaf will be inverted. with the portions in downwardly dive'rging-relation while the portions of the cam slot in the lower leaf barrel will be disposed in upwardly diverging relation. Each 5b is provided'with a laterally projecting stub shaft upon which anti-frictionA roller 26 arranged to move in the adjacent cam slotl 25 of the associated leaf barrel. Y Each stub shaft and anti-friction roller thus forms a lrey element which co-operates with a cam groove so that when the upper leaf is swung on the pintle it will also be caused to rise thereon until. such roller engages an endrof the cani slot in t-he upper leaf barrel, whereupon the intle will be caused to turn causing the other roller 26 to rise in the cam slot of the lower leaf barrel to an end of such latter slot, the lower end of the pintle at the same time rising outvof the barrel of the'lower leaf. This permits full opening of a door in one direction asv indicated by the dotted line position of the upper lleaf in Figure 7, wherein the doorhas opened by swinging'to the left as indicated by the arrow a3. By disposing the leaves to point or extend to the left, instead of tonormally extend to the right as shown ing form of the hinge shown iin-Figure 6, the

hinge is adjusted for .use with doors which only swing in one direction in opening. In such arrangement the stub shafts vproject at the same side of the pintle, and the cam slots are provided in corresponding sides of the hinge leaf barrels. hinge for use in connection with double acting doors or doors which are adapted to swing open in either direction, itis necessary to provide means for-adjusting the leaves so that they will normally project in opposite directions from the pintle, and for this purpose one or both of the stub shafts carrying the rollers Q6 may be removable and reversible.-

For instance, each stub shaft may consist of a bolt 27 removably threaded in a transverse opening of the pintle adapted for insertion from either side of the pintle as shown iii Figui'e 9. Thus, in adapting the hinge for double acting doors, the bolt 27 constituting the lower stub shaft associated with hinge leaf l0"v may be removed and inserted from the left hand side of the pintle as seen in Figure 7, which will result in positioningthe lower In order toy adapt the,

full lines in Figure 7, the same opening is permitted, with the leaf so as to normally project or rextend to the left of Figure 7 or in an opposite vdirection from that in which the upper'leaf 8" eXtends. By making both stub shafts in the nature of removable and oppositely positionj able bolts, either hinge leaf may be adjusted relative to the other hinge leaf to secure the normal positioning of the leaves whereby one extends in an opposite direction from the other. In `such arrangement, one stub shaft will ofcourse project from one, side of the pintle while the other stub shaft will project from the oppositeside of the pintle instead of having both of the stub shafts project from the same side of the pintle as shown in Figure 7. This change in the positioning of the stub shafts and the hinge leaves is clearly illustrated in Figure l0. In all instances, the

'lower leaf is attached to the door frame while the upper leaf is attached to the door, and it will of course be apparent that the stub shafts I and rollers form key elements which coopervate with the cam slot for causing' the upper lll) :Leens/e "tachiuent `to the door, the lower leaf 'being adapted for attachment to the door frame,

and the intermediate leaf being adapted to simply extendfbetween the door and the door frame without being attached to either. As shown, the leaves 28 and 8c are connected by pintle means indicated gene ally at 29 so as to c'onjointly forma hinge substantially as illustrated in lFigure 6 with the pintle grooves of left hand pitch, and the pintle associatet with barrels at the left hand vertical edges of the leaves 28 and 8. Further, the leaves 28 and l()c are connected by pintle means generally indicated at 30 along their opposite vertical edges so as to conjoint-ly forni another grazvitating hinge construction of the type shown in Figuret with the spiral grooves of -t-he latter pintle of right hand pitch. Thus,

a double acting gravitating hinge isprovided in which the upper leaf is attached to an edge of a door by threading screws forwardly through the apertures of the upper leaf, and

in which the lower lleaf 10C' is attached to the frame by threading screws rearwardly through 'the apertures of said lower leaf. lV ith a door mounted in this manner it may "be swung to theleft of Figure ll as indicated by the upper arrow, at which timethe upper leaf will rotate about the pintle of the means 29 and rise on said pintle. On the other hand,

the door may be swung open tothe right of Figure ll as indicated by the` lower arrow, at which time the intermediate leaf 28 will swing about the pintle of the means 30 and rise on such pint-le. When swinging the door open to the left the leaf 28 will remain stationary resting flatly against the door frame, while when the door opens by swinging to the right the pintle means 29 and the upper leaf 8 will swing together with the leaf 28 and the door about the pintle of the means 30. In either instance the door is caused to rise by means which allows the door to automatically V gravitate and simultaneously swing to closed position when released. The pintle means 29 and 30 are similar in construction and correspond to the pintle means of the hinge shown in Figure 6 except that the grooves of the pintle 29 are of opposite pitch from those of the pintles 5a and 30. The manner of pro viding the key elements or balls 12 in the hinge construction of Figures 1 to l inclusive is utilized also in the construction of Figures 6 and ll as will be apparent.

From the foregoing description it is believed that the construction and operation as well as the advantages of the several forms of the invention will be readilyv understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Naturally, the bolts 22 and spring 23 may be associated with the pintle and a leaf of any desired one of the different forms .of hinges shown in a manner similar to that generally Iindicated in connection with the formA of hinge shown in Figure l.

Minor changes may be lmade without de* parting 'from the spirit and scope of tlie invent-ion as claimed.` e

Having thus described my invention7 I "1. gravitL ting hinge comprising a vertical piiitle, a pair of hinge leaves having rigid vertical barrels respectively rotatably and slidably fitted upon the opposite end portions of said pintle, and means associatedwith the pintle and the barrels of the leaves to cause one leaf to rise when swung in one direction with the other leaf fixed and disposed'lowermost, and tocause said other leaf to rise 'when swuno` in the o anosite direction o C ,lV

with said one leafiixed and disposed lowermost, said means including a member normally arranged to permit the uppermost leaf to normally. occupy a lowered position point- Ving in the same direction as the other leaf,- whereby the hinge maybe adapted to a door opening one-way in one direction by arranging one leaf uppermost andpointinglin one direction or adapted to a door opening oneway in the opposite direction by arranging the other leaf uppermost and pointing'in thel opposite direction, said member being adjust able from normal posit-ion to a position to Cause the uppermost leaf .to stop when lowered so as to point in the opposite direction from the other leaf whereby the vhinge mayl be adapted toa. door adapted to swing open in opposite directions.

2. A gravitatin g hinge comprising a vertical pintle having a spiral groove in one 'end portion thereof, a hinge leaf having a rigid barrel in which the other end portion of the pintle is mounted, a second hinge leaf having a rigid barrel horizontally rotatable and. vertically slidable on the Erst named end portion of the pintle, said barrel of the second l leaf having a transverse opening, a bearing ball loosely arranged in said transverse opening and engaged in the spiral groove of the pintle, and means associated with said barrel of the second leaf to removably hold the bearing ball in place, an'end portion of the second leaf being separated from the adjacent end portion of the barrel thereof by a vertical. slot, and said bearing ball holding means comprising a sleeve removably slidably fitted on said adjacent end portion ofthe barrel over intle and means associated with said barrel -permit positioning of the sleeve with the,

flange thereof coincident with said notch whereby the flange will seat in said notch when the sleeve is partially rotated, for there-.

by preventing sliding of the sleeve off of the barrel.

4l. A reversible gravitating hinge comprising a vertical pintle having a plurality of inter-twining right hand spiral grooves in one end portion' thereof anda plurality of intertwining left hand spiral grooves in the other end portion thereof, a hinge leaf having a rigid barrel horizontally rotatable and slidable longitudinally on said one endportion of the pintle, a key element carried by said barrel and engaging in a groove of said one end portion of the pintle, a second hinge leaf having a rigid barrel horizontally rotatable and slidable longitudinally on said other end portion of the pint-le and a second key element carried by the barrel of the second leaf and engaging in a groove of said other end portion of the pintle, one ,of said key ele# for changing the normal positionv of theVV leaves with the latter extending from the pintle in opposite directions whereby the hinge is adapted to doors which swing open in opposite directions. 5. A gravitating hinge comprising a vertical pintle having a spiral groove in one end` portion thereof, a hinge leaf having a rigid barrel in which the other end portion of the pintle is mounted, a second hinge leaf having a rigid barrel horizontally rotatable and vertically slidable on the first named end portion of the pintle, said barrel of the second leaf having a transverse opening, a bearing ball loosely arranged in said transverse opening and engaged in the spiral groove of the pintle, and means associated with said barrel of the second leaf to removably hold the bearing` ball in place, said ball holding means embodying a sleeve removably fitted on the barrel of ERNEST FISCHER.

the second leafand adapted to be turned into or ont of interlocking engagement 

